Terminology is important.
This day and age it is ever so important to call things and people by the right identifier or name.
Similar to the NIMS Typing…we need to completely comply with the unified terminology.
In this news story, the reporter didn’t.

If you haven’t noticed, there are thousands of female firefighters who serve every day. In various cities across America, these ladies uphold and protect the values of our cherished fire service responding to calls 24/7/365.

As Public Information Officers, we should constantly monitor and immediately correct media types who use the wrong terms, help them understand why it is incorrect, and share the right terminology.

Headline should read: “Long time Firefighter honored for his five decades of service”

Perhaps a short email to the reporter would have gotten him/her to change the story online.

Let’s elevate our profession and help others use correct terminology.

Firefighter…not Fireman

@rusnivek